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On October 20 the parliament began the work of the next four-day sittings. At the beginning of the sitting by the proposal of the NA Speaker Galust Sahakyan the deputies welcomed the teachers and pupils of the secondary school of Ashotsk community, Shirak Marz, who had visited the parliament within the framework of the “Open Lesson” programme. After that they approved the draft laws of the agendas of the NA session and the four-day sittings.

The parliament continued to debate the annual report “On the Activity of the RA Human Rights Defender and Violation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the Country for 2013.”

The Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs Elinar Vardanyan has noted that the Human Rights Defender’s Office has presented a comprehensive report, which also expresses the deputies’ remarks and recommendations. Mrs Vardanyan has expressed concern that the indicated numerous problems has not been solved yet by the responsible structures. According to her, it is necessary to hold the debate of the report in the Head Committee by spheres and with participation of the responsible persons.

The NA deputies Elinar Vardanyan, Stepan Demirchyan, Ishkhan Khachatryan, Aram Manukyan, Tevan Poghosyan, Heghine Bisharyan, Nikol Pashinyan, Mikayel Melkumyan, Koryun Nahapetyan, Edmon Marukyan, Hovhannes Sahakyam, Levon Dokholyan, Ruzanna, Zaruhi Postanjyan, Hayk Babukhanyan and Hovhannes Margaryan delivered a speech on the report.

The RA NA Speaker Galust Sahakyan has delivered an extraordinary speech and touched upon the deputies’ speeches and concerns. He underlined that some colleagues were trying to present the Human Rights Defender (HRD) in the status of a victim, while the HRD is protected by law. The NA Speaker has reminded the law “On Human Rights Defender” has been debated, and the experts of the Venice Commission have given their endorsement. Mr Sahakyan has highly assesses the activity of the HRD and has noted that the presented report is comprehensive. “We appreciate the HRD, his activity, this is the only institute which continuously should fight, as they do in the whole world,” the Head of the Parliament added. Mr Sahakyan has added that there are problems in the judicial-legal sphere, and during the recent years positive steps have been taken in that direction. He has expressed hope that those reforms will be continuous. He has highlighted the programme of the RA Constitution reforms and has underlined that the constitutional amendments will specify the authorities’ separation.

The Head of the Heritage Faction Rubik Hakobyan has welcomed the activity of the HRD, at the same time underscoring hat there are many unsolved problems.

The Head of the Armenian National Congress Levon Zurabyan has talked about the violations of human rights in different spheres and in this context has touched upon the March 1 case.

The debate of the issue will continue at October 21 National Assembly sitting.